CHAPTER NAME: THE PROCESS

OF SOCIALIZATION.
TOPIC NAME : DRAMATURGICAL
APPROACH BY ERVING GOFFMAN
Erving Goffman
The Performer-Self
The Self theory of Erving Goffman

❑ Erving Goffman’s the most significant work on self theory is,

“The Presentation of Self in everyday Life” (1959).
❑ Impression management: Goffman argues that we use
various verbal and non verbal practices to present ourselves in
a way that is acceptable and appreciated by others. People
want to present themselves how others expect them to be.
❑ Impression management involves various common techniques
that individuals employ to build up an expected impression
before others.
❑ Example: Concealing information, conveying misinformation,
shaping up behaviors accordingly, Fabricated verbal
expressions or non verbal expressions etc.
The Self Theory of Erving Goffman

▪ The dramaturgical approach: Goffman established an analogy between

drama performed on the stage and social interactions among individuals. He
argues that social actions are performances before audience, individuals here
are the performers on the stage.
It is 🢭
theFront
social Stage:
settings where
interaction
People takes
present
place
themselves
according to the
demands of the
audience or
People shape up
individuals
their activities,
involved in the
interactionsin a
behaviors
way that is
expected by the
audience
The Self Theory by Erving Goffman

▪ Back Stage:
It is the space where one’s
actions are not affected by
others

Actions in the back stage may

involve informal behaviors, the
behaviors that are concealed in
the front stage.

Performer in the back stage is

one’s core self.
The Self Theory by Erving Goffman

Front Stage
❑ According to Goffman, Self is a product of drama
scene. One’s self is developed during his or her
performance on the stage before audience.
❑ We develop our self through presenting our
expected impressions before others.
❑ To him Self is a performer, a fabricated one.
Behind every social self there is a true, core
person that is really who we are. This self is the
self of backstage.
The Self Theory by Erving Goffman

▪ The following Content Source: Cole, Nicki Lisa, Ph.D. (2021,

February 16). Goffman's Front Stage and Back Stage Behavior.
Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/goffmans-front-stage-
and-back-stage-behavior-4087971

▪ In sociology, the terms "front stage" and "back stage" refer to

different behaviors that people engage in every day. Developed by the
late sociologist Erving Goffman, they form part of the dramaturgical
perspective within sociology that uses the metaphor of the theater to
explain social interaction.
The Self Theory by Erving Goffman

▪ The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Erving Goffman

presented the dramaturgical perspective in the 1959 book "The
Presentation of Self in Everyday Life." In it, Goffman uses the
metaphor of theatrical production to offer a way of understanding
human interaction and behavior. He argues that social life is a
"performance" carried out by "teams" of participants in three places:
"front stage," "back stage," and "off stage."

▪ The dramaturgical perspective also emphasizes the importance of the

"setting," or context, in shaping the performance, the role of a
person's "appearance" in social interaction, and the effect the
"manner" of a person's behavior has on the overall performance.
The Self Theory by Erving Goffman

❑ Running through this perspective is a recognition that social

interaction is influenced by the time and place in which it occurs as
well as by the "audience" present to witness it. It is also determined
by the values, norms, beliefs, and common cultural practices of the
social group or the locale where it occurs.
Front Stage Behavior—the World Is
a Stage
▪ Front Stage Behavior—the World Is a Stage
▪ The idea that people play different roles throughout their daily lives
and display different kinds of behavior depending on where they are
and the time of day is a familiar one. Most people, consciously or
unconsciously, behave somewhat differently as their professional
selves vs. their private or intimate selves.
Front Stage Behavior—the World Is
a Stage
▪ According to Goffman, people engage in "front stage" behavior when
they know that others are watching. Front stage behavior reflects
internalized norms and expectations for behavior shaped partly by
the setting, the particular role one plays in it, and by one's physical
appearance.
▪ How people participate in a front stage performance can be highly
intentional and purposeful, or it can be habitual or subconscious.
Either way, front stage behavior typically follows a routinized and
learned social script shaped by cultural norms. Waiting in line for
something, boarding a bus and flashing a transit pass, and exchanging
pleasantries about the weekend with colleagues are all examples of
highly routinized and scripted front-stage performances.
Front Stage Behavior—the World Is a
Stage
❑ The routines of people's daily lives—traveling to and from work,
shopping, dining out, or going to a cultural exhibit or performance—
all fall into the category of front stage behavior. The "performances"
people put on with those around them follow familiar rules and
expectations for what they should do and talk about with one another
in each setting. People also engage in front stage behavior in less
public places such as among colleagues at work and as students in
classrooms.
Front Stage Behavior—the World Is
a Stage
❑ Whatever the setting of front stage behavior, people are aware of how
others perceive them and what they expect, and this knowledge tells
them how to behave. It shapes not just what individuals do and say in
social settings but how they dress and style themselves, the consumer
items they carry around, and the manner of their behavior (assertive,
demure, pleasant, hostile, etc.) These, in turn, shape how others view
them, what they expect of them, and how they behave toward them.
Back Stage Behavior—What We Do
When No One's Looking
▪ Back Stage Behavior—What We Do When
No One's Looking
▪ When people engage in back stage behavior, they are free of the
expectations and norms that dictate front stage behavior. Given this,
people are often more relaxed and comfortable when back stage; they
let their guard down and behave in ways that reflect their uninhibited
or "true" selves. They cast off elements of their appearance required
for a front stage performance, such as swapping work clothes for
casual clothes and loungewear. They may even change how they
speak and comport their bodies or carry themselves.
Back Stage Behavior—What We Do
When No One's Looking
❑ When people are back stage, they often rehearse certain behaviors or
interactions and otherwise prepare for upcoming front stage
performances. They might practice their smile or handshake, rehearse
a presentation or conversation, or prep themselves to look a certain
way once in public again. So even back stage, people are aware of
norms and expectations, which influence what they think about and
do. In private, people behave in ways that they would never in public.
❑ However, even people's back stage lives tend to involve others, such
as housemates, partners, and family members. One may not behave as
formally with these individuals than standard front stage behavior
dictates, but they may not fully let down their guards either. People's
back stage behavior mirrors the way actors behave in the back stage
of a theater, the kitchen within a restaurant, or the "employee only"
areas of retail shops.
Back Stage Behavior—What We Do
When No One's Looking
❑ For the most part, how one behaves front stage significantly differs
from an individual's back stage conduct. When someone ignores the
expectations for front and back stage behaviors, it may lead to
confusion, embarrassment, and even controversy. Imagine if a high
school principal showed up to school in her bathrobe and slippers, for
example, or used profanity while speaking with colleagues and
students. For good reason, the expectations linked to front stage and
back stage behavior influence most folks to work pretty hard to keep
these two realms remain separate and distinct.
Dramaturgy
Front Stage-Back Stage
Front Stage-Back Stage